Buy Take On Mars

November 15, 2017

We've got some good news today - after a couple of months of work, we're excited to finally release our major free content update to Take On Mars - the Europa Update! It's live on Steam right now, so let's go through some of the highlights of this update.

The most important addition that gave the name to the entire update is a brand new environment to explore - 4 square kilometers of Jupiter's moon Europa. Beyond Earth, this icy moon is believed to be our solar system's best spot to find and explore a sub-surface liquid water body in the form of an ocean. Thus, it is also the most promising place so far to find traces of extraterrestrial life...

New missions and features

While in real life, we're still pretty far from sending a manned mission to Europa, in Take On Mars, we took the liberty and went a little bit ahead of time. In 2 new single player missions and a brand new coop scenario, you'll explore the surface of Europa, taking a deep dive into its freezing subsurface waters. We've added some new features to make the experience properly immersive - like new underwater mechanics or improved radiation simulation.

New equipment and vehicles

Europa's surface is a really cold place - and by saying that, we mean −170 °C/-274 °F cold (in average). In addition to that, Europa's surface gravity is even lower than what you know from Mars, and so all that calls for some special equipment. We've got you covered with a new space suit, brand new diving suit, new low gravity buggy with thrusters to keep you stickied to the ground, and a cool new mobile habitat suited for much more than just good night's sleep.

New equipment and vehicles

Along with the content package, we're also releasing a good amount of fixes, tweaks and overall game stability improvements. See the full changelog below.Thanks everyone for the epic ride so far - enjoy the update and see you in game!

- Added black overlay when initializing cameras
- Added moddable scripts for extended functionality without having to modify core files
- Added Pattern Generator tool for the in-game Editor for modders, used to generate patterned objects on terrain
- Added Depth and Speed GUI to the Submarine
- Added cooperative multiplayer Europa scenario
- Added voice overs for the 2 Europa missions
- Added correct map icons and previews to the Europa vehicles
- Added communication range to Mobile Planetary Habitat
- Added Europa Update content!
- Added multiplayer RPC, update and init calls to inventory item controllers to allow more advanced functionality for modders
- Added button to in-game Editor to toggle a world light for better editing in dark areas/times of day
- Added radiation protection to suits
- Added high external pressure damaging to the suit helmets
- Added support for suits that are not intended for space
- Added support for helmets that turn with the head
- Added 4 Resource Barrel holder slots to the rear side of the Manned Scout Buggy
- Added support for setting camera weather effects per weather zone
- Added 6 Resource Barrel holder slots to the rear side of the Manned Aerial Transport
- Heart rate/breath rate increase now dependent on suit type
- Optimized data that is sent by entities on initial connection to server
- Replaced dead screen skull
- Major improvements to ocean and water zones
- Minor optimizations to sound point calculations
- Increased maximum packet size for sending init data in multiplayer, increasing maximum amount of objects and data that can be in the scene
- Improved Earth sky preset to look more realistic
- Improved Mars Island ocean to look more realistic
- Improved triggering of 'see' events in 2nd Europa mission
- Improved underwater ocean effects
- Changed default back-side material of modular interior blocks from criss-cross shapes to cables and wires
- Changed default surface material of modular interior blocks from black fabric to imitation wood for better visibility
- Adjusted atmospheric zones and water zones to allow structures and vehicles with atmospheric zones to function as desired underwater
- Water effects now get switched off if Editor Light is turned on in the in-game editor
- Fixed new issue of view going dark after load underwater
- Fixed issue with terrain not colliding in Europa
- Fixed issue where dropped inventory items did not synch position
- Fixed script not compiling for the Hydroponics Station
- Fixed issue where after loading a save game water would not be simulated
- Fixed issue where after loading a save game particle effects via scenario were no longer playing
- Fixed issue where pressing Play in the in-game editor resulted in all scripts thinking the editor was still active
- Fixed several Europa terrain parts having material as metal instead of ice or snow
- Fixed NULL pointer in surface Europa mission after saving the game
- Fixed potential NULL pointer when a conversation was created in Europa missions
- Fixed minor missing material issue in Heavy Suit 3D HUD
- Fixed potential division by zero in camera underwater effect7
- Fixed excessive tripping over objects
- Fixed sound simulation underwater
- Fixed minor issues with stabilization and sleeping of entities in water
- Fixed minor Z-depth issue of underwater ocean effect sorting incorrectly
- Fixed issue in certain situations where camera could render a black scene
- Fixed issue with sounds not playing correctly underwater in low pressure environments
- Fixed issue of deep underwater terrain not being rendered
- Fixed potential division by zero in vehicle parts when handling heat loss
- Fixed potential crash related to hotspot functionality
- Fixed and improved several issues with the dynamic 3D HUD mode
- Fixed Manned Aerial Transport tilting to side on time scales smaller than 1
- Removed 2 badly placed dunes in Victoria Crater

Be smart, Take On Mars

Take On Mars offers many benefits over real-life manned Mars exploration:

No need to wait until the 2030s (or longer)

Skip years of astronaut training, political debate, and budget cuts

Unlimited funding and infinite lives

Commute between Earth and Mars in seconds

Avoid the discomforts of real space travel

Pick your own crew or go solo

All-you-can-eat potatoes all day every day

Free trips to Earth’s Moon and International Space Station included

All for the price of just a few burgers!

About This Game

Explore the rocky terrain and sandy wastes of the Red Planet. Bohemia Interactive’s Take On Mars places you right in the middle of mankind’s most exciting undertaking. Start out in the seat of a rover operator, finish as the first human to have ever set foot on Mars. With a scientific arsenal at your disposal, you will pioneer the exploration, and colonization, of the Red Planet.

Key Features

Space Program Campaign Chapter 1: Robotics CampaignExplore the Red Planet from the perspective of a science-driven space agency. Command rovers, landers, or probes, over a distance of hundreds of millions of kilometers - and collect important scientific data about Mars. Research new technologies to gain new equipment.

Space Program Campaign Chapter 2: Manned Mission Story CampaignTake on the role of astronaut Mark Willis, one of the crew members in the first manned mission to Mars. When things go wrong during the descent into Mars’ atmosphere, and the connection with Earth is lost, the crew is declared missing in action. However, there’s one survivor: you. Relying on a background as a mechanical engineer, you will need to fight for survival and construct the machines needed for a chance to return home.

Sandbox Survival MultiplayerInvite your friends in drop-in/drop-out online multiplayer, and establish the foundations of a human colony on Mars. Work together to extract raw materials from Martian soil, refine them into real compounds, and use the 3D Printer to build your habitat panel by panel. Develop a power grid, pressurize living areas, utilize botany to grow crops, and operate various vehicles and machines to keep you and your crew alive.

Real Life LocationsTravel across a vast, unforgiving Martian terrain with locations based on actual satellite data from famous locations such as Victoria, Gale, and Cydonia Crater. Be prepared for extreme weather and sandstorms, and watch out for radiation exposure from Mars’ solar events. Aside from the Red Planet, Take On Mars features various additional special locations and celestial bodies, including Mars’ moon Deimos, Earth orbit, Earth’s Moon (Apollo 17 Moon landing site), International Space Station (with full interior), Earth Training Centre, and Mars Yard.

Advanced SimulationExperience motion in locations with different gravity strength, including Zero-G. Break off cameras, robotic arms, or even individual struts and wheels - all affecting the way your vehicle handles. Each object, system, and instrument in Take On Mars is accurately simulated to offer a truly authentic experience.

Content Creation Tools & Modding SupportCreate your own scenarios in the 3D Editor and share them on the Steam Workshop. Dive into Take On Mars’ powerful Workbench editing suite to develop new terrains, add-ons, and total modifications.

And MoreFamiliarize yourself with Take On Mars’ gameplay via 5 training missions. Play a variety of individual scenarios set across different locations. Discover interesting facts about the Red Planet with the in-game Mars Encyclopedia.